Bonaparte at Marengo Solitaire Rules

Introduction
With the standard rules, Bonaparte at Marengo is a difficult game to play solitaire
due to its use of limited intelligence. The purpose of the solitaire rules, as presented
below, is to maximize the games solitaire playability while preserving as much as
possible the character of the two player game. It should be noted that the rules do not
auto-play either side the player still actively plays both sides, he just does so without
the cognitive dissonance caused by the combination of limited intelligence and solitaire
play.
References to the Austrian player and the French player are present in these
rules even though in fact there is only one player the terms indicate whether the player
should be acting as the French or Austrian player when he carries out the indicated
actions.

Playing Pieces
French cavalry and artillery are placed face-up during the game. Both players are
permitted at all times to see the strength and type of French artillery and cavalry.
Standard rules calling them to be turned face-down are ignored.
French infantry is played (literally) face-down during the game. Neither the Austrian
nor the French player is permitted to see the strengths of French infantry pieces except
where the solitaire rules specifically permit it.
When shuffling French infantry, it is necessary to do it dominoes-stye: that is, with a
swirling motion that mixes the pieces without turning any of them over but keeps them
all (literally) face-down.
All Austrian pieces are played face-up. It is not necessary to place them literally
face-up (sitting behind the Austrian position works fine), but both players know the types
and strengths of the Austrian pieces.

Setting up the Game

The Austrians start the game with one less 2-strength infantry piece and have a
reduction of 2 in their demoralization level.
The standard rules for French set-up are not in force. Instead, French set-up
proceeds as follows:
The French player takes the French cavalry pieces from the At start

display and places them on any of the desired French set-up locales

(the number of pieces in a locale may still not exceed the number
shown on the map).
The French player takes the remaining French (infantry) pieces from the

At start display and turns them all literally face-down, shuffles them,
and then places them into the remaining French set-up positions not
already occupied by cavalry.
From each French reinforcement area containing infantry (the 12:00 and

4:00 reinforcements), the French player turns the French infantry facedown and shuffles them and then returns them to their reinforcement
areas. (Note: the reinforcements from the two areas are not mixed
they are shuffled separately).
French activation rules are not changed, although the French player

cannot use the suggested literal face-down state to indicate inactive

pieces and will have to depend on his memory or some other
signification instead.

Movement
Whenever French infantry pieces that had previously been separate are moved into
the same position, they should be shuffled to conceal which pieces came from where.
In reinforcement entry, the French player is still free to bring his reinforcements into
play in any order he likes, but he does so without knowing which of his infantry pieces
are which.

Maneuver Attacks
In making maneuver attacks across a cavalry-obstructed approach, it is not necessary
for the French to turn a piece face-up to reveal that it is infantry which French pieces
are infantry is always known.

Artillery Bombardment
To indicate that the French artillery is declaring a bombardment, it can be turned so
that it faces the player rather from its normal solitaire position of literally face-up, and
then returned to face-up at such times when the standard rules call for it to be returned to
face-down.
In choosing a piece to take a loss due to an artillery bombardment, the French player
may choose to take his loss from any face-up cavalry and artillery among the target
pieces however he likes, or if he has some face-down infantry among the target pieces, he
may turn over one of them to give himself an additional choice. He may continue turning
face-down pieces face-up until he finds a piece from which he wants to take the loss
(turning a piece face-up does not require him to take the loss from it he can still choose

a different piece). After taking the loss, any French infantry turned face-up is turned facedown again and shuffled with any other French infantry present.

Assaults
In selecting leading pieces in an assault (attack or defense), the French player may
choose as his leading pieces any face-up cavalry present if he so wishes. If he has any
faced-down infantry pieces, he may widen his choices to include them. To do so, he turns
them face-up one at a time until he is satisfied that he has the pieces he wants to use as
his leading pieces (which may be the cavalry turning infantry face-up does not obligate
the French player to choose it). Any French infantry pieces not chosen are turned facedown and shuffled with any other French infantry taking part in the assault.
If the French are the attacker in an assault, and as a result of turning the pieces faceup, it turns out that there are no French pieces legally able to conduct the assault, or even
if the French player doesn't like what he sees, the assault is cancelled. Any face-up
French infantry is turned face-down again and shuffled with any other French face-down
pieces in the approach. (Note: a cancelled assault is not a defeated assault; it doesn't
happen at all.)
If the assault requires that French losses be taken from among non-leading pieces,
the French player may choose to take his losses from non-leading cavalry and artillery
however he likes, or if he has some face-down infantry pieces among the non-leading
pieces, he may turn over one of them to give himself an additional choice. He may
continue turning face-down pieces face-up until he finds pieces from which he wants to
take the losses (turning a piece face-up does not require him to take a loss from it he
can still choose a different piece). After taking the losses, any French infantry turned
face-up is turned face-down again and shuffled with any other French infantry present.
(Note: if the French player is the defender and is about to retreat, he can instead simply
turn all the pieces face-up and choose. Retreating pieces all have to be turned face-up
anyway).

Retreats
Casualties among French retreating pieces are selected after the pieces are turned
face-up (even in the standard rules, retreating pieces are turned face-up during a retreat).
When French infantry pieces are turned face-down again after a retreat, they are
shuffled as necessary with any other French infantry present with them to conceal their
identities.